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#ParliamentMagazine - MEP Sajjad Karim to attend prestigious awards ceremony as EU International Trade nominee

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Trade Chief MEP Sajjad Karim (pictured) is attending the Parliament Magazine's MEP Awards ceremony as the EU International Trade Award nominee.

Dr. Karim - who chairs the European Parliament’s South Asia Trade Monitoring Committee - is nominated for an outstanding achievement award, recognizing his extensive work on EU International Trade, including EU-Pakistan trade achievements and will be present at the prestigious awards ceremony in Brussels today (20 March).

He was named on a shortlist of three candidates for the Parliament Magazine's MEP awards, which is recognized as honouring movers & shakers in the EU scene, in this case, for their work on International Trade.

The British MEP has worked on International Trade since his election to the Parliament in 2004, establishing himself as a defender of free and values based trade built upon European values. He has lead numerous trade missions on behalf of the Parliament in his 15 years as a MEP and is now recognized as a trade expert within the institution, becoming synonymous with championing trade between the EU and the wider world, and trade enhancing internal EU reform.

Dr. Karim has taken a leading role on behalf of the UK in strengthening the bonds between the EU and Pakistan through his work in the European Parliament, and worked extremely closely with former Prime Minister David Cameron to deliver a preferential trade package for Pakistan - the Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP+) - as a UK Government trade priority.

His achievements in International Trade to date include acting as spokesperson to the WTO, the reinstatement of GSP for Sri Lanka, reforms to Bangladesh’s garments industry safety, rapporteur on numerous policy setting files - including audit reform - and guiding the International Trade Committee towards the adoption of GSP+ for Pakistan. This resulted in him being awarded the Sitara-i-Qaid-i-Azam - the highest national honour to non-Pakistanis for services that have helped the country - joining ranks with the British Queen and Nelson Mandela.

Dr. Karim has also authored two trade-related reports on EU-India Trade Relations and the EU-India Free Trade Agreement, both of which maintained the need for human rights to be integral in any trade related agreement that the EU has with another country, with particular reference to Indian-Administered Kashmir (IAK).

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Speaking in Brussels, Dr. Karim said: “It is a great honour to be shortlisted for such a prestigious prize and fills me with great pride to know that all the efforts over the years have not gone unnoticed. The competition in all categories is so high each year, it is an achievement in its own right to get this far and I am delighted to be attending Wednesday's ceremony.

“I would like to thank everyone who has helped me get to this stage, because without them this would not have been possible.

“When dealing with trade-related issues, I have always sought the best possible outcome at all times for the UK, the EU and Pakistan too. The benefits of international trade for the prosperity and well-being of all our nations are far-reaching and cannot be downplayed. Whether we are in or out of the EU, the UK will continue to be a leading proponent of international trade and I hope that I can continue my contribution towards this.”

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